seeking knowledge [open]

[theladyofwinterfell]

WHO: Sansa Stark
WHAT: Settling in
WHEN: 11 Harvestmere - the end of the month
WHERE: Around Skyhold
NOTES: Feel free to find her around in another place that her log text doesn't mention, just let me know. Some implied mention of abuse/sexual assault in the Tyrion-Sansa thread but nothing explicit.

Sansa has settled into this place, so much as one can settle into a place where she's dropped from the sky. It's not a terrible one, really, and once she'd been brought to the keep called Skyhold, she'd felt a little better about things. She spends quite a lot of time in the keep. There's great libraries full of books and papers and letters and all of them have information about the place she's landed herself in; Sansa spends most of her days educating herself on the place she's wound up and reads for hours and hours until her eyes are tired and the candles have burned low.

The nights are a bit different. She has stuck close to Lord Tyrion since he's the only person she knows from Westeros, and they have found lodging close to one another. It makes her feel a bit safer, all told, and she just wants to keep close to him for the time being. If he minds it, he hasn't said anything to her, and she's happy to go on as they have.

Currently, she's curled up in a chair in one corner of the keep, one of the journals in her hands. She's trying to learn all about the politics of this place but the names and places keep running together and she doesn't know if she'll ever keep them straight. She wants, desperately, to learn them so she feels like she has a purpose but she knows it won't happen in just a few weeks or even a few moons.

"You have to be patient, Sansa," she mutters, diving back into her work.

Comments

In The Tent Of Awkward

[tallasaking]

Sansa was not the only one who was learning how to get along in this new world. Tyrion had been doing what he did best - and that was basically talk and drink. He wandered in and out of the tents, the building, talking to just about anyone who would stand still long enough for him to get a word in edgewise. He was at campfires at night with the soldiers, sipping off their very horrible wine, and the next day sipping brandy with some strange older woman who never took her mask off.

He gathered information, he gathered coin, but in the end ... it all went back to one place.

To wherever Sansa was. Today was no different, as he came across her curled up in the corner of the keep, and his mouth twitched up, "That particular history is a little dry, but I give you credit for attempting it."

Re: In The Tent Of Awkward

[theladyofwinterfell]

"Yes, my lord, I have discovered that," Sansa says. She manages a tiny bit of a smile for him because yes, of course he'd have read it, and she's always just fascinated with how much he reads on a regular basis.

"I'm just trying to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can. It's proving to be difficult."

Re: In The Tent Of Awkward

[tallasaking]

"Just imagine it in some voice you find soothing. I found that helped immensely." He stated with a little grin, before he went to settle himself beside her. He took out a loaf of bread, and a hunk of cheese, and a waterskin.

"Perhaps it will help you to go over things with someone else?" He paused, "Also you need to eat."

[theladyofwinterfell]

"All right, I'll pretend Septa Mordane is reading it to me," Sansa says, giving him an impish little smile. She arches a brow at all the food only to realize she is, in fact, hungry, and takes a little bread to eat.

"Thank you, Tyrion. I've been sitting here for a while, I didn't realize how hungry I'd gotten."

[aceso]

Christine has duties to keep her busy and she ends up passing Sansa several times as she hurries back and forth with them. Around the fourth time, she stops beside the young woman holding two glasses of cider.

"You have been here a long time. Would you care for a drink?"

[theladyofwinterfell]

The woman has a kind smile and Sansa cannot help but return it when she offers her cider. She has been sitting for a while without a break and she thinks she ought to try and talk with some of the people here instead of studying dusty books; letters can only spell out so much.

"Yes, absolutely, thank you. I lose track of time sometimes when I'm reading and I end up ignoring that I ought to eat or drink."

[aceso]

"I thought that might be the case," she replies, giving her the glass and sitting close by. "When I was younger, I tended to lose myself in my studies and would only realize I had not eaten when I got up and found myself lightheaded. I did not wish the same to happen to you."

Of course, she still does study new disciplines and she still needs to remind herself not to repeat the mistakes of her youth. She doesn't want to faint in front of anyone

[theladyofwinterfell]

"This place is new to me," Sansa explains," lifting her hand and showing where the green mark remains. She doesn't understand it, at all, but she knows it is a mark that shows she came through what is referred to as a rift.

"I want to learn as much as I can about it so I'm able to feel like I belong here, as much as a person can when they aren't from here. Does that make sense?"

[circleprodigy]

There's a regular visitor of Skyhold and especially its library, a pale elven woman in Grey Warden attire. Almost always, she arrives with her mabari at her side, who usually wastes no time in plopping down and napping after games of fetch and roughhousing with other dogs just beforehand. While he snoozes, she reads. It's a mutually beneficial deal.

While Inessa's putting back some of the books, preparing to leave for the evening, Garahel awakens, stretches and walks around. He knows better than to bark or jump indoors, but Inessa never said he couldn't make friends. So, he pads over to the new person, tail wagging and looking up at her hopefully. She seems nice, maybe she'll pet him?

[theladyofwinterfell]

Sansa has always liked dogs and even Ramsay's cruel hounds couldn't cure her of that. When the mabari approaches her, she smiles a bit and reaches out to pet him with an outstretched hand.

"I haven't any treats for you," she says ruefully. "Only pets. Will that suffice?"

[circleprodigy]

"It usually does. Garahel knows to behave himself." Inessa smiles as she observes Garahel agreeing, letting out a soft huff and nuzzling against that hand. "He may be a trained war hound, but outside combat? He is an affection-sponge and enthusiastic playmate."

[lettersfromhome]

Sansa won't remain alone in the library for very long. A woman in a sweeping red dress and fur-lined cloak stops not far from her, observing her frustrated attempts at study. The smell of baked goods wafts from her direction.

"Well hello there."

New faces are common, but that doesn't mean one shouldn't introduce themselves when they can. Mia happened to be passing by with a basket of food under one arm. It's always something of that nature, food, herbs, healing supplies, whatever needs ferrying from one side of the keep to the other.

But she goes at her own pace, keeping in mind the faces of their fight as much as the bigger picture. They are, after all, the reason they fight.

[theladyofwinterfell]

When the woman greets her, Sansa lifts her head and is struck by the scent of baked goods. She is quite hungry after having been in the library all day but she doesn't think she ought to beg for food when she's only just met someone. Instead, she smiles a bit and says hello in return.

"Hello. Am I in your way or anything, my lady?"

[lettersfromhome]

"No, not at all." Her brow raises and she shakes her head briefly. "And I hope I haven't disturbed you. You're not having trouble, are you?"

There seems a vague air of frustration about the girl. No, perhaps not the right word. Weariness? No, perhaps not quite right either. Well it's certainly something, and Mia is not known for ignoring somethings. Or much of anything, really.

[youwonscience]

"That one's actually not bad," Cosima says, because she can't help herself. "Have you read any of Lady Vauquelin's? They're limited in scope, but also pretty up-to-date, which is more than you can say for some of the stuff in the library."

...belatedly, with a sheepish smile. "Uh. Sorry to interrupt. Just... I had that same look for like, my first three months."

[theladyofwinterfell]

Sansa lifts her head and gives the woman a smile. She actually hasn't read the aforementioned journal so, really, it's good information. She grins a little.

"I'm just trying to learn as much as I can. I want to be knowledgeable about this place so that I know what I can offer it and know what it can offer me in exchange, if that makes sense?"

[youwonscience]

"No, yeah, it makes perfect sense. I'm still trying to do the same thing. If I ever figure it out, I'll make a welcome packet." She shifts the basket of... what seem to be baked goods to one hand, so she can offer it for whatever sort of greeting the young woman is comfortable with. Even if not everyone shakes, most people recognize a clasp as a friendly gesture, Cosima's found.

"I'm Cosima, not-quite-as-new arrival. I came through one of the rifts a few months back."

[in_death_sacrifice]

Corners are nice and quiet and private, exactly what Kain tends to prefer, himself. He's got a book on dragons in hand as he's headed to find a good spot to settle down with it. It's an old familiar one to him, but he's in the mood for something he knows well. But he's surprised when he notices someone else in the spot already.

"Forgive me... I didn't realize anyone was here. I hope I'm not interrupting...?"

[theladyofwinterfell]

"Oh, certainly not," Sansa says warmly. "I have been here for quite a while, I probably needed to get up and stretch my legs for a bit."

She's been reading for hours, the names and places blurring on the page, and she gets up to stretch a bit before establishing herself back into her chair.

"Did you want to sit here? I could move, if you wished."

[in_death_sacrifice]

Approaching, Kain shakes his head. He definitely doesn't want to put someone out of their space, after all. At least she seems polite about it all, so he doesn't feel as bad about interrupting as he did. "There are other chairs around that I can take, you needn't worry."

He glances over at her and the book she's been reading. "It seems we have a similar idea." He holds up the one he's brought with him. "Are you reading anything interesting?"

[onlyhymns]

In the evenings, Sansa often has a silent companion, settled a few chairs away to give no illusion of intention, and equally steeped in his own reading. Like her, Cade is a standoffish and serious sort, who naturally enjoys the solitude of being here with the security of having someone nearby who he knows for certain isn't going to stare or snicker or ask him awful questions.
Besides, he never saw her before recently, and he sees by the shard on her hand that she isn't from around here. That's probably good. That means she doesn't know who he is, which means she's safe to be around, at least for now.

Perhaps periodically their eyes will meet by accident, or one will sneeze and startle the other. If they ever happen to look at each other at the same time, Sansa receives a look of mild surprise followed by the barest of acknowledging smiles before Cade minds his own business again.

[theladyofwinterfell]

After a few evenings of silent companionship, Sansa finally looks to him and decides it is only polite to ask his name and give her own in exchange. That is what a lady does, after all, and she is still a lady.

"My name is Sansa," she offers sweetly, giving him a little smile. "Since we haven't spoken or anything."

[onlyhymns]

In some circles he would argue he's still a gentleman, but that remains to be proven.
Cade is actually a little startled when the girl speaks, and he looks up, putting his thumb on the pave to mark his place. "Oh," he says, caught a bit off-guard, "...um. Cade. Cade Harimann."

not late!!

[unsullies]

Daenerys Targaryen does not know Sansa Stark. She knows of Ned Stark, of the man who had fought alongside the Usurper against her brother, but is barely aware of the man's many children and how their lives have played out. That's why the silver-haired young woman walks past the corner without much of a second thought, glancing briefly at the beautiful girl within, but continuing on - until.

"Are you all right?" she asks, having begun to walk away. The girl is younger than Dany herself, but only just. It's difficult to tell if this is another rifter or a native... until she sees the shard in Sansa's palm.

"Did you recently arrive?"

[theladyofwinterfell]

Sansa startles for a moment, stirred away from her reading by the girl's voice. The accents in Thedas aren't terribly different from those in Westeros so it takes her a moment to realize if who she's talking to is from Thedas proper or if they're from somewhere else. This one is someone she hasn't seen yet and she...looks the very image of the stories and songs about Targaryen princesses.

"I did, yes. Just a fortnight ago, I think?"